Seven Years a Slytherin
by nerdyneptunian
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy had been timid his whole life. Upon entering the Hogwarts Express and meeting the famous Rose Weasley and Albus Potter, he finds himself forced into situations unexpected and bringing him out of his shyness. Scorose later on, T for later scenes.
1. Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express

Scorpius Malfoy had been told many times in his life that he was too timid. Whether it be from his mother, usually when he hid behind her when his cousins came over, his father, who always seemed okay with it as if it were just a fact rather than a problem, or any other relative. However, he never recognized this or found this a problem until he stood before the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

Having heard stories from his family about Hogwarts, Scorpius thought he would be well prepared for the excursion. He packed all his favorite books, his broomstick (even though he knew he couldn't play Quidditch First Year), and all the required supplies, not to mention Orion, his cat, was accompanying him. He planned to get on the train fairly quickly as to not have to worry about who he was sharing a carriage with, but of course his family had planned against him.

His mother wouldn't stop crying, as she couldn't bear the thought of her eldest son going to Hogwarts already (Scorpius's little brother Perseus had another 3 years to wait until he was to go), and his father was once again telling him not to worry about what house he was to be sorted into, even if it turned out to be one Scorpius didn't like at first. All Scorpius could think about was the groups of students flooding the train already, and how he wasn't one of them. By the time his mom had decided to leave and wait outside the platform as to not embarrass her son, Draco had taken into giving a speech.

"You know we don't care where you end up in Hogwarts right?" Scorpius's dad asked, looking about as worried as people claimed Scorpius was.

"Of course."

"And don't feel pressured to pick any house because you think it would make some of your relatives happy." Of course, Scorpius had known this was what the conversation was leading up to. The usual 'you don't have to be in Slytherin' discussion he had, ever since he had gotten the letter of his acceptance to Hogwarts in the mail.

"Of course. I need to get going Dad."

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize. See you during the holidays?" The younger Malfoy nodded before giving a quick hug and then escaping into the crowds.

Now Scorpius Malfoy felt timid.

Surrounded by kids towering over him, including girls wearing too much make up and boys flicking their wands to show random spells, he felt incredibly small. _How the heck am I going to find an empty seat in this hoard? _Glancing around, and strolling all around the train, he finally found an unoccupied carriage. Scorpius sat down and let out a breath of relief, finally he was alone. He didn't have to worry about being squished, or being trapped in an awkward conversation, or worse: someone asking him about his family.

Whenever Scorpius was asked about his family from nonrelatives, as soon as he claimed he was a Malfoy he was isolated from a group. He didn't believe they did this intentionally, as his father actually worked in the Ministry and had proven that he was a good person who had been put in a bad situation. But the name still carried a lot of meaning, whether or not it had anything to do with the War. The Malfoy lineage was one of the few pureblood lines left, and they were wealthier than most others, not to mention the power people perceived them to have. No one pictured his mother and father dancing around the living room to some obscure band that Scorpius never heard of whenever they felt like it, nor did they think of his brother's obsession with Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes (to be fair, that still shocked many members of his family). The title came with an unspoken standard to uphold, even people didn't realize they were even expecting anything.

It was a good 20 minutes before Scorpius's privacy had been breached. He was in the middle of a book of required reading, glasses resting atop his head so he could bring the book a comfortable distance from his face, when the two members of the Weasley-Potter clan entered. Having seen them quite a few times in the _Daily Prophet_, he recognized them as Rose Weasley and Albus Potter, but they looked somewhat different up close than they did in the papers.

Albus had sported the 'just gotten out of bed' hair that seemed genetic for the Potter boys (an assumption Scorpius made upon seeing Mr. Potter and James Potter at the train station for a second), but also sported a splash of freckles across his face. Unlike his brother James, the middle Potter had caramel brown eyes, and crooked front teeth. Rose Weasley had the curly ginger hair usually associated with the Weasleys, however pulled it back into a ponytail to reveal a light scar on her jaw. And her lips were moving which meant-

"Sorry, I was lost in thought. What were you saying?" Scorpius asked hurriedly, blushing slightly. Of course he had screwed up his first impression. He tended to do so, but had not expected to butcher his first conversation with the first kids he met at Hogwarts.

Albus Potter stepped forward, somewhat gangly as he moved, "We wanted to know if we could share the carriage? All the others are filled." The blonde nodded, and returned to his book.

"I can't believe James and Fred wouldn't let us sit with them!"

"Calm down Al."

"But Rose, just because they are older than us doesn't mean they can ignore us!"

"They have their own friends Al. Besides we'll get back at them."

"You brought them?" Out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius noticed the female Weasley smirk, and pulled out a box of firecrackers. Those wouldn't be-

"Are those the newest Weasley's Wizarding time activated firecrackers?' The shy boy questioned, before internally reprimanding himself. Of course they had them, they were related to George Weasley himself. God, what Scorpius wouldn't give to get a box and send it back to Perseus. The two turned to him, surprised that he had interrupted their conversation no doubt.

Rose smiled so large it had to hurt her face. "You follow Uncle George's merchandise?" Curling up so he felt smaller, he nodded, adding afterwards his brother was a huge fan of their products.

"What was your name again?" Albus asked, cocking his head slightly. _You didn't ask in the first place, there's no _again _in that… _Scorpius thought.

"Scorpius M-Malfoy." Damn his stutter. He shut his eyes subconsciously, waiting for the snarky remarks usually directed at him after admitting his family. It wasn't that he didn't love them dearly, it was just harder for him than it would be for the Longbottoms per se.

"Cool, hey Scorp what did you think of…" Albus started, and the three of them quickly slipped into conversation on different products he had bought, then about Quidditch (Scorpius was a large Chudley Cannons fan, as was Rose, but Albus disagreed), and finally about Hogwarts itself.

"Dad told me that the Sorting hat gave a choice and took your opinion into account. Did you know that Rose?" Albus grinned, as if this were a pressing concern. Scorpius hadn't known that, all he could think about was his father's words. They almost sounded like a plea _not _to go into Slytherin. But if Scorpius was offered the choice, which house would he pick? Sure he was loyal to his family, but he also loved to read, and he was fairly cunning. He already knew Gryffindor was out of the question, as he was scared of his own shadow and never showed an ounce of spine before. So then, what would he pick?

"Uncle Harry said that? What else did he say?" Rose leaned in, as if was news to her. Maybe it was. Maybe Albus had just found out about the ability to choose his house recently.

"He said that he was almost sorted into Slytherin!" The quietest of the three nearly choked on his pumpkin juice. The famous _Harry Potter _was almost a Slytherin? How was that possible? Sure, he was ambitious, but his acts of bravery were known worldwide. How could he have been anything _but _Gryffindor?

Just then, a prefect walked into the carriage saying they'd be arriving soon and that they should change into their school robes. Excusing himself, Scorpius went to change and hopefully clear his mind.


	2. Chapter 2: The Sorting

Scorpius Malfoy had never felt more anxious than he did waiting to be Sorted. His parents had told him plenty about the process, how he would wear a hat that decided what house he would spend the next seven years in. Just one decision would decide the majority of his future (at least his immediate future if nothing else). Feeling his hands clam up, the first year wiped his hands on his robes. He was going to be sick, and then he wouldn't be Sorted anywhere at all. Oh Merlin, what if the hat _didn't _sort him? Would he be sent home? All Scorpius could think of was hiding in the corner and curling up with one of the books he had brought, but unfortunately all those books were in his trunk.

Albus and Rose hadn't left him to his surprise. Sure, Rose was chatting excitedly to Beatrice Longbottom, a slim girl with blond hair pulled back into pigtails, about how she was already ready to play some pranks on certain members of the school. Albus however had kept his attention on the blond boy next to him, incessantly talking about his ferret (how Albus managed to bring a _ferret_ to school without upsetting any students or teachers Scorpius couldn't figure out), and while it was probably very interesting to the raven haired boy about how Hedwig, the ferret, had crawled into James robes the year previous and James had screamed so loudly his mom thought he had hurt himself, Scorpius couldn't bring himself to care very much. It was nice to have company of course, but he knew he had issues speaking to people to begin with, so he was hardly ready to speak now to a kid he just met.

"You don't have to be nervous Scorp." Swiveling to face the other boy, Scorpius could feel himself freak out all over again. Was it that obvious that he felt sick? Unable to help himself, he noticed that quite a few other kids looked quite queasy themselves. That was good, Scorpius thought sighing in relief. He wouldn't stand out too much. Well, much more than he already did as he was standing next to the youngest son of the Boy (or was it man now?) who lived. The boy in question hardly seemed to notice, nor did Rose. They did grow up around cameras for the most part, while most reporters tended to avoid Malfoy Manor.

"Line up students!" One of the professors bellowed out to the First Years. She had very worn out eyes, as if she had been 100 as opposed to the presumed 30 she looked, and a slightly crooked nose. After he noticed his classmates begin lining up, he subconsciously became a statue, stiffing up to the extent that even his toes felt too close to his feet to be safe. Trying to shake out of it, he pushed up his glasses closer to his eyes with a trembling hand as to try to hide his expression. However, the rising arm was linked with the fiery haired girl accompanying him, dragging him into the Great Hall. Scorpius was only able to let out a squeak before stumbling through the large doors.

_Oh wow_. The ceiling looked as if it wasn't there, just at some point the walls dissolve to meet with the sky and was holding up the sky rather than the actual architecture. The stars twinkled above him, and he began pointing out some of the constellations above him. It had become a running game in the Malfoy household to point out as many of the patterns made by the distant glows as they could, as each Malfoy was named after one (well, except for his mother). The canopy over his head made Scorpius long for his home, as at least at home if he didn't be around people, he didn't have to, and by Merlin there were a lot of people in the Great Hall.

Suddenly, Headmistresses McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat down on a stool in the front of the hall. The Muggleborns stared confused, but all Scorpius could think of was this worn piece of cloth was the big deal his father had spoken of. Glancing over at Albus, he could see the freckles stood out more than they did on the train, as the owner of said freckles was turning paler by the second. _Thank goodness I'm not the only one freaking out._

Then the hat broke into song.

If Scorpius had wondered how serious Hogwarts took the Sorting, he would have had a clear answer at that instant as clearly it was a _joke_. The magical hat, the one that many a student would have trembled at the thought upon first hearing of it, that was going to make one of the most important decisions of their young lives, was _singing_.

After what seemed like an eternity, the hat silenced itself. The crooked nosed professor from earlier unrolled a scroll, and glanced at the group of First Years awaiting her every word. Scorpius wondered if this was the most attention she had ever received from students before in her entire teaching career, as everyone in the hall fell to silence as she called out the first name: "Alacard, Johnathan!" A sandy-haired kid emerged from the crowd of 11-year olds, grinning at the kids he had been chatting with previously (friends possibly? As he had so very few, Scorpius had a hard time telling). The hat barely touched the boy's head before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!" to the whole hall.

As the professor called more and more names, Scorpius could feel his hands grow more and more moist. Oh Merlin himself, how much could the hat read? Just the surface level thoughts, or Scorpius's deepest secrets. He wondered if anyone ever found themselves blackmailed by the hat if the latter were true, as that seemed like the main reason why that hat was still used rather than testing the students on their skills, as everyone remained trusting in the word of one garment.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

The tension almost felt tangible to the boy as he shuffled to the front of everyone's view, and he couldn't help but listen to a few whispers on his way over.

"Bet he's in Slytherin."

"How funny would it be if he got Sorted into Hufflepuff."

"My dad told me that when his father had been Sorted, the hat hadn't even touched his head before calling out Slytherin!"

Shaking his head ever so slightly as to not be noticed, Scorpius sat on the stool, placing the Hat on his head. It wasn't so bad, even though the Hat ended up falling over his eyes as he wore it. Darn skinny head.

'_Malfoy eh? Hmm… very clever I see… you would do well in Ravenclaw. Or perhaps Hufflepuff since you have a strong sense of devotion. Or Slytherin would lead you to great things, as you are cunni-'_

Slytherin.

The thought shocked Scorpius, and he was sure if the hat had emotions it would shocked too. Before another idea could travel through his head, the Hat called out his house. Lowering the Sorting Hat off his head, he trekked over to the cheering table taking an empty section of bench. His hands twitching as more students were placed into each house, another form of quiet fell over the tables as Albus Potter was called to be Sorted. This was a silence of awe, as the child was famous worldwide (not for any merits of his own mind you), and the thought of him being put in the same house as him seemed to be a privilege, though most people had a general idea of where he was going. The Gryffindor table already seemed preparing to clap.

"SLYTHERIN!" A collective gasp fell over the students, and some members of staff. Scorpius got up and cheered as much as he could, meaning he was about as loud as a sole mouse, when Albus walked right next to him to sit down.

"Now we just need to wait to watch for Rose." The boy smiled, as if he weren't being glanced at by the majority of students. And wait they did. Rose Weasely was the second to last person to be Sorted, only to be followed by Parker Zabini. As an actual_ Weasley _by name, there seemed to be very little chatter about her sorting. Anyone who knew her thought she was reckless, seeing how she did whatever she wanted whether or not there could be any consequences. Well, anyone except her closest cousin.

Which was exactly why Albus was the only person not surprised when Rose joined the rest of the Slytherins at their table. Sitting between the two boys, the ginger smirked at Scorpius, who had occupied his time by stammering words in an attempt to find the correct thing to say.

"Snake got your tongue Scorp?" she chuckled, which signaled to him it was time to shut his mouth.

"Did you see everyone's face?" Albus laughed.

"I think Fred may have fainted!"

"Roxy looked ill over at the Ravenclaw table!"

The two Weasley-Potters continued to crack up until Headmistress McGonagall stood up at the High Table. She spoke a few words, none of which Scorpius could find purpose in except to stay away from the Forbidden Forest (which he had planned on doing anyway). And then the feast began.

Scorpius sat there quietly eating helpings of mashed potatoes and turkey. It reminded him of Shirley, the Malfoy's house elf, and her cooking. Shirley was not enslaved to the Malfoys, in fact every day Draco offered her pay for her services, but she always refused. The only gifts she had accepted was new clothes when her old ones were too worn or stained.

Albus and Rose continue speaking until they had to separate to their dorm rooms. Scorpius and Al shared the room with Hector Nott, Lee Thompson, and Joshua Blimingdale. Upon exchanging pleasantries, Scorpius fell into bed into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: The First Prank

Scorpius has unknowingly befriended the two biggest pranksters in the entire school. As it was the end of the first month, he no longer doubted the female Weasely's sorting. She had spent most of her time laying on the Slytherin common room's largest couch with a crimson notebook in hand, which contained only the finest of pranks to play on the students of Hogwarts. In her brief time at Hogwarts, she had already gone through with two pranks, the first of which being dying James' and Fred's hair a glowing and vibrant shade of yellow, which Albus said would last a month. The second involved flooding the boy's third floor bathroom so by the time that Filch found out, the entire corridor was slippery and covered in signing bubbles. How they managed to not be caught for the latter, as the whole school was talking about it, Scorpius was not sure.

"Scorp, you alive?" Albus asked, laying across the silent boy's lap as they were supposed to be studying outside. Embarrassed by the sudden breach of his comfort zone, he nodded, not looking up from his Potions book. He continued to read said book until it was snatched out of his hands.

"Hey!" he cried, looking at the girl holding his book. Rose flipped through the instructions he was reading.

"Pepper Up Potion? Feeling down?" she chuckled, and Scorpius shook his head. He had gotten used to her doing this by now, it was practically a greeting. First she would take what he was reading, he'd call out, she'd make a remark about what he was reading whilst sitting down new him, and start a conversation. This held true now, as she plopped down next to him and spoke about Potions homework. She continued until Albus piped up.

"Did you bring the notebook?"

"Of course."

"Then let's get started."

Which prompted both of them to glance at Scorpius, as to indicate now was the time to leave. He chose not to.

"Scorp…" Albus started.

"I w-want to help," he stammered at last, looking at his friends. Questioning glances were shot at him, but they continued all the same.

"What were you planning Rose?" Albus asked.

"I was thinking alarms around Professor Binns' class, to wake up all his students in there for once."

"When?"

"Halfway between each class on Monday."

"You can't just do Binns' room, they'll be taken down too quickly," Scorpius added. The pranksters looked at him with shock, and Rose responded.

"So what do you propose?" she said, rolling her eyes as if to say _this is why he shouldn't have joined plan_.

"One by each common room, one by Charms-" Rose scowled "and then the one by Binns. Also set them ahead of time so you have an alibi."

"When did you become such a criminal mastermind?" Albus snickered, and the blond shrugged. While he may not have a prank shop owning uncle, his cousin, Bruce Greengrass, _loved _playing tricks during Christmas, and had never been caught. Bruce often included Scorpius in the plan making, as he was silent and knew every inch of the Malfoy manor. Perhaps it had rubbed off.

"We'll do the timing part, but I don't agree with any of the other changes…" Rose grumbled, and Albus nodded. They probably hadn't realized all _three _of them had Binns Monday, making them more easily caught. Or maybe that was really why they chose that class in the first place, to be caught laughing while everyone else was forced awake.

Staying silent for the rest of the conversation (as Rose clearly didn't care for what he had to say), Scorpius decided it would be best to start reading again, as clearly his three seconds of attention were over. Snatching the Potions book (or what he believed was his Potions book), he flipped to where he thought the Pepper Up Potion instructions began, and then started to read. Only when a Scarlet faced Rose Weasley took the notebook out of his hands after he read "_Mrs. Rose Scamander_" did he realize he had the wrong book. As Albus had practically fallen asleep when Rose began speaking logistics for their plan, Rose had no qualms about grabbing the shy boy forcefully by the tie.

"You tell _no one. _Understand?" Scorpius nodded as best he could while his neck was in a very uncomfortable angle. She let go, and as he had been trying to pull away since she grabbed him, he hit his head on the tree he had previously been resting on. Grumbling, Rose excused herself from Scorpius' and the sleeping boy's company. Probably to begin setting up the prank.

It turned out that Rose _completely _ignored her housemate's suggestions. Which was why her and Albus were running away from Filch while a track from the Weird Sister's newest album blasted into History of Magic, leading them to plow into Scorpius.

"Move it!" Rose yelled, shoving him to the side. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her into a hidden corridor that was covered by a tapestry, then pulling Albus in, so that he was the only one outside when Filch hobbled over.

"Have you seen those hooligans?!" He shouted, picking up Scorpius by the collar. Shaking his head furiously, he was dropped onto the floor as the angered man continued on his way out of sight. Rose peeked her head out when the footsteps disappeared.

"Is he gone?"

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Rose recoiled, as she had never heard the boy raise his voice. He looked positively livid, hands balled at his sides as he scowled at her. "You were _so close _to being caught! If you had listened to me, Filch wouldn't have any proof!"

"I-I…"

"Scorpius relax." Albus stated, walking out from behind Rose to rest a hand on Scorpius's shoulder. Shaking his head, the angry boy exhaled, trying to calm himself. It had been a very long time since the last time he had been in an argument, and he was mentally cursing himself for blowing a fuse. Rose looked completely frightened, which was saying something since she had a good two inches on him, and probably a lot more experience in a fight if it came to it. She mumbled something along the lines of an apology, not looking him in the eyes.

Scorpius sighed, running a hand through his hair. His glasses were cock-eyed from when Filch dropped him (which he would keep to himself), and his tie crooked. _These two are going to be the death of me_.

"Rose, he's got a point. We should include him in these pranks, he's the only logical one between the three of us." Albus rationalized, watching for Rose's reaction, which was a nod. "Ok then, so it's the three of us in this together. Ok?"

Scorpius and Rose could only nod in agreement.


	4. Chapter 4: Christmas at the Burrow

Scorpius had never wished Christmas wouldn't come before going to Hogwarts. While he loved seeing his family for the holidays, he knew after these several months at the magical school he would miss Albus and Rose a large amount, including the pranks they played. Since the horrible experience with the alarm clock outside Binns' class, Scorpius had been an integral part of planning the pranks and being the alibi. All the pranks were set to a timer, and if a professor managed to figure out when the prank had been set, he would convince the teachers that Albus and Rose couldn't have possibly done it. So far, the pranks included planting fireworks in the Entrance Hall that presented a silver and emerald snake before the Gryffindor Slytherin match, charming James' pants to continuously fall off while he flirted with a girl (which happened quite often), and sending a flock of birds into Divination whenever someone mentioned death.

As the train pulled into station, Scorpius changed into his normal clothes after Rose left the carriage, not particularly caring if his dorm mate saw him undress for the billionth time (only to his underwear of course). His father, Draco, was taking him to Diagon Alley when he arrived so he could get Christmas gifts for anyone he cared to (which meant his parents, Perseus, Albus, and Rose), and going in his school robes seemed a little too awkward.

"Will we see you over the break?" Albus asked, as he also changed into casual clothes. The other boy shrugged, as whether he could escape the Malfoy gathering may prove difficult, especially since his grandfather was coming over.

Lucius Malfoy was a somewhat interesting man in Scorpius' opinion, but not in a good way. In a veteran in his own right (just for the wrong side), he had seen many things he didn't agree with, and spoke his mind when it wasn't already right. For example, whenever he brought up Muggleborns, Scorpius got up and left the room. Lucius refused to recognize they were just as much a wizard as he was, and believed they were worse in some unknown way. Even Draco scowled whenever his father brought up these medieval ideas, but unfortunately for him he had to sit through it. But while he may be intolerable, Lucius proved to believe family was very important.

Then Rose entered the carriage while he was only in his boxers.

"Merlin Rose!" Scorpius blushed, rushing to put his pants back on. Albus just snickered, as he was blood related to the female, and pulled his shirt on. Rose chuckled as well, just plopping onto the seat across from Scorpius. She seemed unaffected, and pulled out the infamous notebook out of her bag.

He had come to realize that the notebook was more than a prank book, but also Rose's personal journal, after coming across the name of her crush in it, which proved to be Lysander Scamander. Lysander was a third year in Ravenclaw, and the son of Luna Lovegood. He appeared to have short whitish blond hair, and dark brown eyes, and had a very strong personality, as he would defend _the Quibbler_ to his death, but also knew that some of it was ludicrous. And of course, made redheaded first years fall for him.

"Al should we play a prank on Teddy when he comes over?"

"I don't think so, Mom said she didn't want anything to go wrong this break. She even threatened James that if he didn't stay in line she'd take away his broom!"

"Seriously? Who's coming over? The bloody Minister of Magic?"

"I don't know, but I think we should listen to her. Last thing I want if for her to take my Shooting Star 300 away." This conversation spanned until the end of the train ride (meaning about another five minutes), where they were set to separate. That was of course until their parents wished to meet each of their respective friends.

Ron and Draco were very on edge about the whole thing, but Harry seemed to not mind in the slightest. Trying to speak to Scorpius, who became more quite because _Harry Potter_ was speaking directly to him, Harry asked about the classes in school and how he got along with Albus and Rose, who were talking to Draco about something that Scorpius didn't quite catch.

"Do you like Quidditch Scorpius?" Mr. Potter questioned, and Scorpius both him and Albus had the same expression when trying to get along with new people, which was to plaster on a smile and crinkle their eyes. Scorpius nodded, watching as Mr. Weasley left his daughter and nephew to speak to his former classmate.

"What team do you support, and would you try out next year?" Scorpius gave a nod to the latter question, as he planned on trying out for Seeker as a Second Year.

"T-the Cannons, s-sir," Scorpius internally reprimanded himself for the stuttering, as it was a bad way to leave an impression on someone. However, Ronald Weasley seemed to ignore this fact and divulged into a one-sided conversation about how he was sure the Cannons were going to win this year, as the Malfoy nodded along to the outbursts. _This must be where Rose gets it from…_

"Well we must be off again. It was nice meeting you Rose and Albus," Draco stated, before leading his son off of the platform.

Scorpius was welcomed home with open arms, literally as Perseus tackled him as soon as he opened the door. He went off about how he had gone to see his friends and younger cousins, and about all the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes he had used over the almost 4 months Scorpius had been away, which made the older child smile. Perseus would blend right in with the Weasleys personality wise, as he was as loud and energetic as them, which was a perfect contrast to Scorpius's mellowness.

After spending a few hours playing around, Perseus and Scorpius were called to dinner. While the younger practically sprinted downstairs, the other boy was hesitant to head downstairs. Anxious on what his father must've thought of his friends, Scorpius made eye contact with no one when he sat down at the long table at the other head of the table (Draco sat across from him as usual).

"So those friends of yours, they treat you nicely?" Draco asked as Shirley brought out their dinner. Scorpius ignored the question as Shirley squealed upon seeing him.

"Young Mister Malfoy! How nice it is to have you return home!" the house elf yelled in her high pitched voice, and the boy smiled at her. Draco cleared his throat, and Shirley shrank away, knowing that if he wanted her gone it must be an important conversation. Sighing, Scorpius picked at his food not realizing his father was still waiting for an answer.

"Scorpius?"

"Hmm?"

"Potter and Weasley? Do they treat you well?"

"They're names are Rose and Albus."

"Scorpius…"

"Yes Dad, they do." And with that, Draco nodded and dropped the conversation. He had a natural form of worry of course, as him and Astoria had been worried that the kids in school would treat him badly due to their history. Never had they expected the famous children of the war heroes to befriend their son, and thus thought maybe they were messing with him.

The rest of dinner was filled with chatter from Perseus and Astoria, as Scorpius had decided to fall back into his silence which was usual for him. Shirley kept coming and bring him his favorite sweets like chocolate chip cookies, and Scorpius thanked her each time, but otherwise waited until it was acceptable to go back upstairs.

When he flopped onto his bed, he heard the unexpected crinkle meaning he was crumpling a piece of paper. Grabbing said article, he was shocked it was a letter from the Weasley-Potter clan. He hurried to open it, and it stated:

_Dear Mr. Scorpius Malfoy,_

_You are invited to Christmas dinner at the Burrow December 25__th__ at 7:00 pm. Please respond to this letter to RSVP with how many people will be coming._

_Sincerely,_

_Molly Weasley._

Scorpius sprinted downstairs and showed the letter to his parents, practically praying they would let him go. There was much conversation on whether or not this would be acceptable, and decided it was fine as most of the Malfoy clan was only coming for the 24th.

"Oh one more thing," Scorpius added, and his mother looked up at him.

"What would that be?"

"Can Perseus come too?"

The two Malfoy children walked up to the Burrow on Christmas Day excited. Perseus was happy to play with kids his age outside family (a rare occurrence on its own), and Scorpius couldn't wait to see his friends from Hogwarts again. They knocked on the door, and were welcomed by a blue haired adult whom Scorpius had only heard of in passing.

Teddy Lupin had a mess of turquoise atop his head, and his face red from the sudden exposure to the cold. He wore a sweater that was the same shade as his hair, clearly homemade. His eyes twinkled with mischief (was that a requirement for the Weasley Clan?), and he smiled wider than Scorpius thought possible (which could be true for the shapeshifting man).

"Al! Rosie! The Malfoys are here!" He called, and slowly grew out cat ears, making Perseus gasp. Scorpius only tensed up, as was his natural reaction to the strange, and walked inside narrowly missing a live paper bird trying to make a break into the outdoors.

The Burrow itself was the most discombobulated house either of the boys had ever stepped inside. Wrapping paper covered the floor, surrounding the many redheads and other kids inside the room. Hugo and Lily were arguing while playing a game of wizard's chess, James was chatting up one of the female guests of the Potters that Scorpius did not recognize, Victorie and Roxy were putting makeup on a very disgruntled Louis, and Albus and Rose-

Scorpius fell to the ground as the two tackled him, both wearing Santa hats and sweaters similar to that of Teddy's. Albus' was a shade of emerald green (his favorite color), and Rose's was a shade of orange that reminded Scorpius of a tabby cat. They were speaking quickly about the presents they had received from their family, including a new beater's bat for Albus, a new set of WWW products for the both of them, a new notebook for Rose, and many more. All the presents seemed much more interesting than Scorpius's new collection of books (which he loved to no end). Which reminded him…

"I got you two presents." Scorpius stated as calmly as he could between the two shouting kids, who silenced themselves as soon as the comprehended his sentence. He pulled out two perfectly wrapped presents, both a light shade of green, and handed them to their respective owners. Albus saw his first and gasped, as it contained the newest edition of _Baffling Beaters: The Greatest Beaters of All Time_, and a new set of gloves. Rose's also contained a new set of gloves, and a new quill that hid the ink from everyone unless she allowed them to read it.

"Oh wow Scorp…." Rose exasperated, and he flushed. It was the best he could come up with, and wasn't sure if that was a good sign. Well, until he was hugged tightly by the two.

"You're the best Scorp!" Albus exclaimed, and led him to the rest of the Weasleys. Perseus had already began talking animatedly with George Weasley, and smiling his head off. The door knocked again, and this time Molly Weasley the Second went to get it. The trio ended up sitting next to Victorie, Roxanne, and Louis, who by this point had basically been made to look like a clown with all the makeup currently on his face. Scorpius could only stare at the two older girls, as Victorie was a seventh year and Roxanne was a second year. Victorie smiled at him slightly, and he blushed insanely.

"She's part Veela," Albus laughed, and Scorpius couldn't figure out what to say that wouldn't embarrass himself, so stayed silent.

"So Malfoy, I heard you've been causing trouble along with my cousins. Is that true?" the blond Weasley asked, and Scorpius nodded.

"To be fair they'd do j-just fine without me."

"Aw, he's being modest. He was the one who came up with the idea to send doves into Divination, and he set up the fireworks before the Gryffindor Slytherin game!" Rose shouted, and Louis chuckled. Louis Weasley was a fourth year in Hogwarts, and a Hufflepuff, which was probably the only reason he was letting his cousins make him over.

"The Scamanders are here!" Molly II called from the door, and Rose's face matched her hair. Albus and Scorpius tried to contain their laughter as they were all told that dinner was going to begin.

Molly Weasley the First sure knew how to cook, as she fed all the guests, and the _entire _Weasley clan, with some of the best food Scorpius had ever had. He spotted his brown-haired brother sitting next to Lucy Weasley, who was the same age as Perseus.

When dinner ended, Draco Apparated over to pick up his two sons, and exchanged pleasantries with the hosting family, who said Scorpius and Perseus were welcome over at any time (which both Perseus and Scorpius were made ecstatic upon hearing).

It had to have been his best Christmas yet.


	5. Chapter 5: Quidditch Tryouts

**A/N: The main section of this story is to take place from 5****th****-7****th**** year, so there will be scenes from every year, but the jumping chapters like the last 4 will probably continue until that point. ~Nerdyneptunian**

Scorpius Malfoy had woken up full of adrenaline, as today was the day he had been waiting for since he had begun Hogwarts. Slytherin tryouts were this morning, and as a Second year now he could _finally _join the team. Racing to put on his Quidditch robes, he ended up tripping over Albus's broom.

"Easy there Scorp!" The raven haired boy laughed, already geared up, as he was trying out as well. He was wearing the gloves Scorpius gave him last Christmas, and some of gear pads that his family must have bought for him. The eager boy hopped back up off the ground, still smiling. Quidditch was the one thing he felt truly comfortable opening up during, besides when he was reading of course. There was just something about the feeling of the wind through his hair and that sense of accomplishment from grabbing the Snitch.

Muttering apologies, Scorpius finished changing and then hurried down into the common room to meet up with Rose, who was trying out for Chaser. She had pulled her hair back, revealing a thousand more freckles on the back of neck. She held her Nimbus 3000 in one hand, and held her safety gear in the other. For her, it may be harder to join the team, as it had been many years since there had been a female player for the Slytherins, even though Rose was undeniably amazing. Having played a pickup game of Quidditch at the Weasley's over the summer, Scorpius knew Rose could fake out any Keeper.

"Took you too long enough! We need to head down to the pitch!" she exclaimed, and Scorpius covered her mouth. She was yelling loudly enough to wake up the entire house, and the last thing they needed was many angry Slytherins holding them up. Albus chuckled, and led the way outside.

The Quidditch pitch itself was a sight. The field was huge, and the three hoops on either side stood up so high that it would've taken a giant to be able to touch the top if not for brooms. The entire area was surrounded by stands, and Scorpius noticed a few redheads sitting in the stands. Probably there to cheer on Albus and Rose no doubt. The trio were the first people to show up for tryouts, not knowing they had left the common room ten minutes earlier than intended.

"Wanna practice Scorp?" Scorpius nodded, and got onto his broom. Albus picked up his Beater's bat and hit a golf ball off into the distance to catch. Doing this for several minutes, he missed none of them. He could see James Potter in the stands looking impressed, as would most people. They only stopped when the Slytherin captain, Hersley Norse, called them down.

Norse was a very muscular seventh year, and played as one of the Chasers for the Slytherin team. He had been known for knocking out the Hufflepuff Keeper last year by throwing the Quaffle directly at his head. Next to him stood what Scorpius presumed was his girlfriend, who had bucked teeth and was as broad as Albus and Rose put together. There were three other students at tryouts, two of which were fourth years and the other was a fifth year. Scorpius felt very little compared to the teens surrounding him, and then the previous year's team.

"Alright, organize yourself into the groups you're trying out for: Chaser, Beater, or Keeper." Scorpius clutched his broom tighter as everyone around him separated, and he stood his ground.

"What are you doing standing there kid?" Norse groaned, clearly not wanting to deal with twelve year olds this early in the morning.

"You didn't say where Seekers were supposed to go." Scorpius stated, and bucked-teeth and Norse laughed.

"Shrimp, Ashley," Norse gestured to bucked-teeth, "has been Seeker since _our_ Second Year. We don't need a new one."

"But I'm better than her." This simple phrase made everyone around him gasp except for Albus and Rose, who were just laughing. Norse and Ashely both looked infuriated that this kid was challenging their opinions.

"Oh really kid? Tell you what, you can try out. We'll let the Snitch out, and if Ashley gets it once, then you're not on the team," the captain chuckled, obviously thinking that this would put down Scorpius's desire to join.

"Deal." The blond said without hesitation, and walked over to the sidelines to wait his turn.

The Seekers were going to have their competition after everyone else tried out. Only one new boy tried out for Keeper, but lost to the previous year's Keeper, Patrick Thorton, by two goals. Then the Chasers went up to shoot on Thorton, and Rose smoked the competition, scoring 5 more goals than the previous year's chasers, and beat one of the fourth year boys by three goals. Albus and the fifth year who tried out didn't really have to do anything as both the Beaters from last year had graduated. Then it came down to Scorpius and Ashley.

"Ready?" Norse called, and the two nodded from up above, eyes closed. He released the Snitch, and waited ten seconds before telling them to open their eyes. The two both scanned around for the golden ball, and Scorpius spotted it first after only a minute next to the Potters/Weasleys in the stands. He speed over to catch it, and the competition hesitated before spotting where he was heading. But at that point it was too late. The second year had snatched the prize from next to Hugo's ear, missing hitting the group with his broom by a centimeter.

Silence fell over the entire pitch as Scorpius returned the Snitch to Norse, well silence except for the sounds of Albus and Rose cheering. Norse grumbled something along the lines of 'good catch', and then Scorpius went back up to the starting position.

The second time had taken Scorpius a bit longer, and involved him doing a nose dive from the top of the stands to about a meter from the ground, and almost being knocked off his broom by Ashley. Clearly, she was not enjoying being beaten by the rookie, and Norse called her over as Scorpius flew back to the start position.

"Keep your eyes open from the start." Norse growled, and she nodded before flying up next to Scorpius. By the time Scorpius opened his eyes, he saw Ashley racing along the edge of the pitch trying to grab the Snitch. Racing over to where the Snitch was heading, he narrowly grabbed the Snitch just before Ashley could, and hit the edge of her broom. Losing control of his broom, Scorpius lowered himself as close as he could to the ground before tumbling off, keeping his grip on the Snitch. Pain seared up his left arm, he had probably broken it. Storming over to a shocked Hersley Norse, he pushed the Snitch into his face.

"I told you I was better, even when you decided to cheat. I'll be at practice Monday." Scorpius declared calmly as Norse took the Snitch out of his hand.

"Y-you may want to get you're a-arm checked out," the Seventh year stammered, and the younger boy looked at his arm. It was soaked in blood, and was at an unnatural angle. Scorpius shrugged and walked off to the hospital wing, Albus and Rose chasing after him.

"That was amazing Scorp!" Rose cried, keeping up next to him.

"I can't believe you dived fifty meters down!" Albus added.

"Did you see Hugo's face when you caught the Snitch? Priceless!"

"Gryffindor doesn't stand a chance this year!"

The two continued on like this until Scorpius stumbled into the Hospital Wing, where they were ushered away. Clenching and unclenching his right hand, he missed the feeling of the small ball in his hand. At least he was assured he would get plenty more chances this year to do the same.


	6. Chapter 6: The First Kiss

Scorpius had barely recognized the existence of the Yule Ball until his third year in Hogwarts. The event had become an annual tradition among the school, as after the war against Voldemort, Headmistress McGongall had decided the school need to be more interconnected. This basically meant all the students Fourth Year or older embarrassing themselves whatever the night before the Christmas Break happened to be by asking out dates or hoping for one. These dates could be from any year, as long as they were accompanying an eligible student. For Scorpius, this meant he would hang around the common room with all the other Third Years. For Rose however…

"I CAN'T believe that _Lysander_ asked me to the Ball!" Scorpius couldn't believe it either in fact, as he had grown to dislike the Ravenclaw more and more as time passed. Not because he was interested in one of his best friends, but because Lysander and his friends had a knack of joining a few of the Gryffindors in a game Scorpius had begun to call _Maul the Malfoy_. Whether it be verbal insults, or knocking down his books, or that one time they locked him in a broom closet until Madam Hooch found him, the older students figured that now it was acceptable to joke around with him, as they had described it to Madam Pomfrey. He didn't mind too much though, and he was sure to not let Albus or Rose know about the whole thing.

The duo entered Madam Pudifoot's in order to find the girl a dress for the Ball, as apparently it was very important to find the right dress to impress Lysander.

"Why didn't you ask Beatrice to help?"

"She's busy with her friends. And besides, it's better to get a guy's opinion since you know what guys like."

He wasn't so sure about that, as while the shop keepers were fixing up Rose with many different shades and cuts, all Scorpius could think about was how much better she looked when not caring. Like when she was studying for a test and she pulled her back, or how she looked after Quidditch practice. It seemed much more natural than the awful colors they were putting her in. Scorpius sighed, deciding to walk around while Rose was surrounded, looking at the many dresses. One dress in particular caught his eye, it was a flowing white dress that one side ended at what he assumed would be ankle length sloping to the other side to right above the knee. _ A dress for a goddess_.

"Hey Malfoy!" Someone yelled, clamping a hand onto his back. The small boy tensed up immediately, as most of his friends didn't call him Malfoy. Turning, he caught eyes with James Potter, who was wearing his usual Gryffindor sweater and jeans.

"What are you doing here?" The blond asked, shaking slightly. James had never once hurt Scorpius, but that didn't mean he wasn't planning some form of payback from whatever the trio's last prank on him was. Plus, Scorpius had never had an actual one on one conversation with the older boy before.

"Getting my dress robes for the dance. You?" Scorpius gestured over to Rose, who was still being fused over. The dress was looking better now though. Not as nice as the one he had been looking at before however, which he turned to look at. James followed his gaze, and pulled the dress off the rack from the others, nodding in approval.

"Scorp! I need you!" the redhead called from across the store. Scorpius nodded in fair well to the black haired boy, and ran over to her. She was wearing a green party dress that stopped a little bit above her knees, revealing all the freckles on her arms and legs. Scratching the back of his neck, the boy was sure to not meet her eyes, worried they would reveal that she looked really good, but still not as nice as he thought she did when she didn't care.

"You look great…"

"Awesome! I'll take this one!" Rose smiled, jumping down from where she had been staring at herself in the mirror to hug the blond, not noticing how his face had turned crimson.

When Rose had left with two other Slytherin 3rd years and most of the 4th-7th years, the rest of the 3rd years met up in the common room to throw their own little party. Al had brought some of the joke candies he had bought in Hogsmede, which would change the consumer's voice. Currently, Beatrice Longbottom was screaming like a monkey whenever she tried to speak, Hector sounded suspiciously like Professor Slughorn, and, having eaten a pastry unknowingly, Scorpius's hair was striped with the many colors of the rainbow.

Many of the other guys had invited dates to the party. For example, Joshua had brought along a 2nd Year Hufflepuff, along with three of her friends. Albus had taken the liberty to invite Beatrice Longbottom and many of her Gryffindor friends, as he stated that they knew how to have a good time. That they did, as they had been deciding all the games that were being played. The most recent one was Spin the Bottle.

"What's spin the bottle?" Hector asked, staring at the bottle sitting in the middle of the circle they had formed.

"It's a muggle game, basically someone spins the bottle, obviously, and whoever it lands on, the spinner has to kiss them," One of the Gryffindors Beatrice had brought along smiled, looking around until her eyes fell on a Ravenclaw 3rd Year who had tagged along. The game description made Scorpius tense, not because it was a ridiculous game on its own. The problem was he had never kissed anyone before.

This wouldn't have surprised any of the people sitting in the common room he was sure. Scorpius had been known to be quiet and shy ever since entering Hogwarts, especially to girls. Other than Rose, girls seemed like another species, as many of the older girls lured boys like sirens, singing enchantments based on their outfits and speaking the opposite of what they meant. He knew that boys did it too, but for some reason it made more sense to him whenever Albus was doing so than when Rose did. Thus, the boy had never attempted to ever ask a girl out on a date, much less go and try to _kiss_ one. Even though this was the case, he knew that he couldn't chicken out of this game.

A few people stepped away from the circle, including the 2nd year Hufflepuff and a bunch of people the blond didn't know. The remaining people included all the 3rd year Slytherin boys, Beatrice and her friends, the Ravenclaw boy, and a few Slytherin girls, all of whom seemed comfortable in this situation, well expect for Scorpius of course.

"I'll start," the girl who explained the game stated, and it began.

Scorpius managed to avoid being kissed for eleven spins, while the other boys had each been kissed at least once (In Al's case, 3 times). This was why when the bottle finally landed on him, he was thoroughly surprised to look up and see a blushing Beatrice Longbottom.

"Bea and Malfoy!" Albus laughed, and a collective _Oooo _fell through the group. Bea got up, beckoning for Scorpius to do the same, and stepped toward him until their bodies were less than an inch apart. He was sure that she could hear his heart beating.

"This is my first kiss," She whispered into his eyes, and he exhaled in relief.

"Me too."

With that, they kissed. It was short and sweet, Scorpius thought, with no bang of fireworks or anything of the sort. However, he could still feel the heat rushing toward his face, matching the coloring of Bea's face. She cracked a smile at him and went back to her seat, leaving him standing there until Lee Thompson yanked him down. Everyone in the crowd started laughing and even Scorpius couldn't hide a grin.

Soon the game grew boring, and everyone separated for a bit. Beatrice Longbottom came over to him and began having a conversation with him about Quidditch, as that seemed to be the one thing everyone knew he liked. They spent nearly an hour talking, going from Quidditch to school to just themselves in general. He learned Bea had an older brother in 6th year, and had a love for painting. By the end of the night, he felt like he knew Beatrice his entire time at Hogwarts, and not just finding out that she was a Harpies fan that night.

Which is why when the next Hogsmede weekend came around he asked her to go with him. And she said yes.

This had come with several reactions from his friends. Hector, Lee, and Joshua had clapped him on the back and told him he finally grew a pair. Albus just smiled at him, shaking his head while muttering about how he should've known after the party. Then there was Rose.

Rose refused to speak to him about it. He knew that she was no longer going out with Lysander, as he had turned out to be a bubbling idiot who was much more interested in a fellow Ravenclaw than Rose, so he figured that was what it was about. She was shutting him out almost completely, only talking to Albus in hushed whispers until Scorpius felt utterly isolated from his friends.

The Hogsmede weekend with Beatrice was nice though, but at the end she told him that she'd rather stay friends, which was fine with him. She said it with shifting eyes and underlying sighs he noticed, but thought it was one of those girl things he would never understand. Plus, as soon as he came back from Hogsmede, Albus and Rose were talking with him again, beginning to plan their next prank.

**A/N: Sorry about the hiatus. School and sports have been taking up my time, but I should be getting back on track now! ~nerdyneptunian**


	7. Chapter 7: The Yule Ball

Scorpius couldn't help but notice how much more attractive everyone seemed to have gotten over the summer. Wandering through the train's hall with Perseus looking for a carriage, he noticed how all the girls seemed to have grown out of their awkwardness, and all the boys sprouted up. Perseus looked around in awe below him, pulling on the sleeve of his sibling's sweater, commenting everyone was like giants. That was until he found the younger Weasleys and sprinted over to them, leaving Scorpius alone.

The 4th year could see what his brother meant, but as the teen was taller than the majority of them, he didn't consider them giants. But all of them looked much older to say the least. Hector Nott was leaning into a carriage, and the wandering boy could hear giggles echoing out. Beatrice Longbottom had grown into more fitting clothes, which Scorpius couldn't help notice fit her very well. Sitting down in the first available carriage, he ran his fingers into his hair. He knew he looked basically the same other than the height and the contacts his father had gotten him under the reasoning of Quidditch. At least that was what he believed. Scorpius didn't notice the added muscle from practicing as Seeker all summer, or that his hair had now become messy to a Potter level, making him look much more normal than he did when he had slicked it back.

Suddenly, the carriage burst open with noise. Not only were Albus and Rose walking in, but James, Fred, Beatrice Longbottom, Lily, and Hugo crowded into the now cramped compartment. Pressed into a little corner against the window, he could only decipher the Weasley clan and Bea were speaking quickly about something that had apparently happened the day before. Feeling a little hurt that his best friends hadn't said anything, Scorpius ignored the conversation and the people in the cramped space in general until one sat down on his lap.

"You don't mind right?" Lifting up his head with the intention to tell Rose Weasley that _yes, _he did mind, he found himself at a loss for words. Her reddish hair was streaked with natural blond highlights, probably from being outside all summer, and she had not been left out of the wave of beautification that occurred this summer apparently. She still had her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, and had seemed to avoid makeup still, but she definitely looked more mature.

"R-right…" He mumbled, avoiding eye contact. God, this year was going to be awkward if this was going to be a regular occurrence.

Potions was Scorpius's least favorite subject. He hated the lack of magic in it, how it was just combining things in a certain order and required not creativity. However, as he had it right before Muggle Studies, and Rose was his partner, there were many aspects to look forward to.

Once lesson involved the pair to make a draught of their choosing, and Rose chose to pick the most complicated (and volitale apparently) potion she could find. She instructed him in how to prepare the ingredients while she actually worked with the cauldron. So it really was all Rose's fault when its contents exploded across the room.

The blue muck covered the boy, until the blond of his hair was no longer visible through the neon coloring. Rose had mostly been splattered, as if her freckles had decided to become blue that day. While Scorpius fumbled to get the cleaning tools, a splat of something hit him in the back. Judging by Albus's laughing, Rose had thrown it. Turning about to exact his revenge, he saw the girl hiding a laugh behind a smirk, and he couldn't help but fluster.

"Who are you taking to the Yule Ball?" Scorpius turned to face his brother, who was proudly wearing his red and gold scarf. It had come to a shock to everyone that the younger Malfoy had been sorted into Gryffindor, but Scorpius was glad as it spared Perseus from the ridicule he had been facing for the past 4 years. Plopping down in the snow next to him, Perseus nudged him.

"I'm not sure."

"You must have someone in mind?"

"Well…" Rose. He was thinking of asking Rose Weasley, his best friend, the girl who constantly pranked the entire population of Hogwarts, and who was totally out of his league. Over the half the year that they had currently undertaken, she had gone out with 3 guys, all of which were Quidditch players in the years above them, all of which "hotter" than the last, according to Rose. Her type very clearly seemed to be confident and good looking guys. So not him.

"Who? 'Cause if you say you don't have anyone in mind you're lying." The younger stated, brushing back his brown hair. Perseus had taken after Astoria as much as Scorpius had taken from Draco, with his dark brown hair contrasting his bluish grey eyes well, while Scorpius only had the trademark whitish blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"Rose?"

"Makes sense. Go for it. Better ask her soon though." Of course he was right, as the Ball was only two weeks away. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Rose had already formed a waiting list of possible suitors, and they would all be pranked if found unsuitable. They had already arranged on how to get into all the common rooms and how to tamper with each one.

Plus for Malfoy, it had always been hard to find a date for anything, whether to study or to go to Hogsmede. Aside from his one date with Beatrice Longbottom, no other girl had ever accepted his offers to meet up. He was almost positive this had to do with his reputation, or rather, his family's. Even though he had proven to be a rather shy and polite person, he was haunted for being a Slytherin Malfoy, meaning he was doomed to become some form of evil. Never mind the fact that his favorite class was Muggle Studies, and he spent his days chasing after the other Marauders (as the trio affectionately called themselves, as Albus had inherited the map from his father the previous year).

Nevertheless, he decided to go after the idea of asking Rose. He had told Albus his plan, which was basically to ask her in their free period so rumors wouldn't mill around, and was to put it in action the next day. He pictured the thing going very awkwardly, with him stuttering to ask and her being her usual self by laughing before giving the response. Scorpius was acutely aware of the fact she had plenty of reason to turn him down, and prepared himself accordingly to try and play coy.

However, Scorpius never pictured finding her snogging Johnathan Alacard in the middle of the halls during the free period.

As far as he had last heard, Scorpius had thought Rose hated Johnathan. He was too full of himself and constantly picked fights with James and Fred during their practices. Additionally, he had once tripped the current observer right in front of her, condemning him for being so insensitive. But that didn't negate the fact that she had her tongue down his throat and _why couldn't he breathe? _

Turning quickly, he ran down the hall back to the Slytherin Common room as silently as possible. Only when is back was firmly pressing against his mattress did Scorpius begin hyperventilating. This made no sense to him, as he had practically known that she would reject him. It wasn't even the first time he'd seen her kiss someone before. Nonetheless, the burning in his chest had been there long before his sprint, and refused to dissipate.

In the end, Scorpius took Perseus, who was one of the three First Years who attended that year. Rose had not gone with Alacard, but rather some Hufflepuff seventh year neither Albus nor Scorpius knew. Albus asked one of their housemates, Jessica Thompson, and James… went alone.

As Perseus ran off to go join some friends of his the older years who were there, many whispers flew around about Scorpius and James. _Was Scorpius gay_? Couldn't be, as he had gone out with that girl last year. _Why didn't James ask anyone? _Maybe he was gay. _Could he have a girlfriend? _

"He does." Al stated next to him and Scorpius jumped. He turned and noticed his friend had actually put forth effort to get ready for the Ball, shaving his light stubble and wearing dress robes.

"Huh?"

"James. He has a girlfriend. It's this muggle girl back home named Alice. We found out at the end of summer."

"Why?"

"He wanted to date someone who didn't know about our parents' reputations."

Glancing at Rose dancing and laughing with her date, Scorpius couldn't help but think James had the right idea.


	8. Update notice

Hey so sorry that I'm so behind on this fic :( ! I'm planning on catching up on it soon so just be on the lookout for anything new (I'll prob delete this message once I have the next chapter up)


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